Some Historical Account of Guinea, Its Situation, Produce, and the General Disposition of Its Inhabitants An Inquiry into the Rise and Progress of the Slave Trade, Its Nature and Lamentable EffectsBy: Anthony Benezet (1713-1784)

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SOME HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF GUINEA,

ITS SITUATION, PRODUCE, AND THE GENERAL DISPOSITION OF ITS INHABITANTS.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE SLAVE TRADE, ITS NATURE AND
LAMENTABLE EFFECTS.

1771 BY ANTHONY BENEZET

SOME

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF

GUINEA,

ITS

SITUATION, PRODUCE, and the general

DISPOSITION of its INHABITANTS.

WITH

An Inquiry into the RISE and PROGRESS

OF THE

SLAVE TRADE,

Its NATURE, and lamentable EFFECTS.

ALSO

A REPUBLICATION of the Sentiments of several Authors of Note on this
interesting Subject: Particularly an Extract of a Treatise written by
GRANVILLE SHARPE.

By ANTHONY BENEZET

ACTS xvii. 24, 26. GOD, that made the world hath made of one
blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the
earth, and hath determined the bounds of their habitation.

PHILADELPHIA: Printed MDCCLXXI.

LONDON: Re printed MDCCLXXII.

Introduction.

CHAPTER I. A GENERAL account of Guinea; particularly those
parts on the rivers Senegal and Gambia.

CHAP. II. Account of the Ivory Coast, the Gold Coast and
the Slave Coast .

CHAP. III. Of the kingdoms of Benin, Kongo and Angola.

CHAP. IV. Guinea, first discovered and subdued by the
Arabians. The Portuguese make descents on the coast, and carry
off the natives. Oppression of the Indians: De la Casa pleads
their cause .

CHAP. V. The English's first trade to the coast of Guinea:
Violently carry off some of the Negros.

CHAP. VI. Slavery more tolerable under Pagans and Turks
than in the colonies. As christianity prevailed, ancient
slavery declined .

CHAP. IX. Desire of gain the true motive of the Slave trade.
Misrepresentation of the state of the Negroes in Guinea .

CHAP. X. State of the Government in Guinea, &c.

CHAP. XI. Accounts of the cruel methods used in carrying on of
the Slave trade, &c.

CHAP. XII. Extracts of several voyages to the coast of Guinea,
&c.

CHAP. XIII. Numbers of Negroes, yearly brought from Guinea,
by the English, &c.

CHAP. XIV. Observations on the situation and disposition of the
Negroes in the northern colonies , &c.

CHAP. XV. Europeans capable of bearing reasonable labour in
the West Indies, &c.

Extracts from Granville Sharp's representations, &c.

Sentiments of several authors, viz. George Wallace, Francis
Hutcheson, and James Foster.

Extracts of an address to the assembly of Virginia.

Extract of the bishop of Gloucester's sermon .

INTRODUCTION.

The slavery of the Negroes having, of late, drawn the attention of many
serious minded people; several tracts have been published setting forth
its inconsistency with every christian and moral virtue, which it is
hoped will have weight with the judicious; especially at a time when the
liberties of mankind are become so much the subject of general
attention. For the satisfaction of the serious enquirer who may not have
the opportunity of seeing those tracts, and such others who are
sincerely desirous that the iniquity of this practice may become
effectually apparent, to those in whose power, it may be to put a stop
to any farther progress therein; it is proposed, hereby, to republish
the most material parts of said tracts; and in order to enable the
reader to form a true judgment of this matter, which, tho' so very
important, is generally disregarded, or so artfully misrepresented by
those whose interest leads them to vindicate it, as to bias the opinions
of people otherwise upright; some account will be here given of the
different parts of Africa, from which the Negroes are brought to
America; with an impartial relation from what motives the Europeans were
first induced to undertake, and have since continued this iniquitous
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